Shaoguan Travel Guide: Walking Danxia Mountain and Visiting Nanhua Temple
Shaoguan, in northern Guangdong, is the base for Danxia Mountain in Renhua County, the red sandstone range that gave its name to the "Danxia" landform and part of the China Danxia World Heritage Site since 2010. From Shaoguan Station, on the Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed line, the Danxia Mountain bus takes about 70 minutes. Two days lets you walk the Changlao Peak circuit, see Yangyuan Stone and take the river boat; add half a day for Nanhua Temple, where the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism taught.
How Danxia Mountain is laid out
The scenic area is large, and a free shuttle for ticket holders connects its parts. In the scenic area's 2025 notice it ran from 8:30 to 17:30 every 15 minutes, stopping at the outer gate (Waishanmen), Yangyuan Mountain, the museum, Baozhu Peak for the cable car, and Changlao Peak. The two piers for the river boat are at Yangyuan Mountain and Changlao Peak. Plan by zone:
- Changlao Peak: the main mountain area, with temples, cliff inscriptions and viewpoints. The scenic area suggests three routes: an easy one of about 3 to 4 hours, a more demanding loop via Biechuan Temple and the iron-chain stairs of 4 to 5 hours, and a full circuit of 5 to 6 hours.
- Yangyuan Stone: the famous phallic rock, half an hour to an hour for the viewpoint alone, or 2 to 3 hours on the cliff boardwalk loop.
- The river: the Jinjiang river boat gives the low-level view of the cliffs.
A ticket was valid for 48 hours in the 2025 notice, so you can spread the zones over two days; check the current terms.
Places worth visiting
Changlao Peak
If you only do one walk, make it Changlao Peak. The demanding loop climbs past Jinshiyan Temple, built into a cliff overhang, cliff inscriptions and Biechuan Temple to the iron-chain stairs, then comes down by the cable car. The sunrise pavilion near the top is busy at dawn on clear days. Shade is patchy on the upper stretches, so carry water.
The peaks from above
From the upper viewpoints the range looks like a sea of flat-topped red blocks with green between them, which is what defines Danxia landforms: red sandstone and conglomerate cut by water into cliffs and towers. Morning and late afternoon light brings out the red; at midday in summer the haze flattens it.
Yangyuan Stone and the cliff boardwalk
Yangyuan Stone is a natural rock pillar that draws crowds for its shape. The viewing platform is a short walk from the gate. The longer loop continues along the cliff boardwalk to the old Ximeizhai mountain refuge and the steep "ninety-nine steps", worth it if you want to see the rock texture up close. Duanshi Village nearby is convenient for the boat pier.
Nanhua Temple
Nanhua Temple, in Maba town in Qujiang District about 25 km southeast of central Shaoguan, is one of the most important monasteries of Chan Buddhism: Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, lived and taught here. It is a working monastery, so dress modestly and keep quiet in the halls. It is on the opposite side of the city from Danxia Mountain, so do it on the way in or out, or as a rain plan.
When to come to Shaoguan
October to December and March to April usually bring the clearest views. Summer is hot and humid, with storms that can close trails and boats; walk early and rest at midday. Winter is mild and quiet. The Spring Festival and Golden Week bring long queues for the cable car; walking up Changlao Peak avoids them.
Getting in and where to stay
- High-speed rail: Shaoguan Station is on the Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed line, with fast trains from Guangzhou and from the north. The Danxia Mountain bus (Shaoguan–Renhua) leaves about 100 m to the front left of the exit and takes about 70 minutes.
- Conventional rail: from Shaoguan East, the Danxia Mountain bus leaves about 50 m to the front left and takes about 50 minutes. Danxiashan Station, on the conventional line, is 20 minutes from the scenic area by bus.
- By air: Shaoguan Danxia Airport, then ride-hailing or the bus via either station.
- Where to stay: in the scenic area, Yaotang Village near the museum has guesthouses and restaurants; Duanshi Village is near Yangyuan Mountain and the boat pier. Hotels cluster outside the Waishanmen gate. Stay in Shaoguan city only for an early train.
Qingyuan is south toward Guangzhou, Chenzhou north in Hunan, and Ganzhou northeast in Jiangxi. Zhangye's very different, dry Danxia is covered in Zhangye.
Eating in Shaoguan
Northern Guangdong food is home-style Hakka and Cantonese: fish-head tofu soup, stuffed tofu, small river fish, free-range chicken, choy sum and sour bamboo shoots, all of which the scenic area's own guide recommends. Yaotang Village has the most restaurants; Duanshi Village is better for snacks, stir-fries and noodles.
How to arrange the route
Day 1: train to Shaoguan, bus to Danxia Mountain, the Yangyuan Stone boardwalk loop in the afternoon, night in Duanshi or Yaotang.
Day 2: Changlao Peak early on the demanding loop, the river boat in the afternoon.
Day 3: Nanhua Temple on the way back to Shaoguan, then the train south.
What to cut if short on time
With one day, take the earliest bus, do the Changlao Peak loop and the Yangyuan Stone viewpoint, and skip the long boardwalk. Nanhua Temple is the first thing to cut from a short trip.
Things to confirm before you go
- Ticket validity and prices, and holiday discounts.
- Shuttle and boat timetables, and cable car status.
- Bus times from Shaoguan Station and Shaoguan East.
- Weather warnings in the summer storm season.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Shaoguan Station to Danxia Mountain?
Take the Danxia Mountain bus (Shaoguan–Renhua), which leaves near the station exit and takes about 70 minutes.
How long does the Changlao Peak walk take?
The scenic area suggests 3 to 4 hours for the easy route, 4 to 5 hours for the more demanding loop and 5 to 6 hours for the full circuit.
Is Danxia Mountain the same as Zhangye Danxia?
No. Both are Danxia landforms, but Shaoguan's is humid and forested, while Zhangye's striped hills in Gansu are arid.
Sources
The facts in this article were checked against the following sources, retrieved September 18, 2026, and rechecked on October 20, 2026.
- Shaoguan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaoguan
- Mount Danxia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Danxia
- Danxia landform https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danxia_landform
- Shaoguan (Chinese) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/韶关市
- Danxiashan (Chinese) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/丹霞山
- Nanhua Temple https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanhua_Temple
- Danxia Mountain Scenic Area, Spring Festival visitor guide 2025 http://dxs.sg.gov.cn/lyfw/pwxx/content/post_2715856.html
Park tickets change; this article does not quote yuan amounts, so check the official notice for your date.
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under CC BY-SA 4.0; re-use requires attribution.
- shaoguan-danxia.jpg from File:20251102 Danxia Shan (152721).jpg, by Yumeto, CC BY-SA 4.0
- shaoguan-danxia-2.jpg from File:20251102 Danxia Shan (154758).jpg, by Yumeto, CC BY-SA 4.0
- shaoguan-danxia-3.jpg from File:20251102 Danxia Shan (150403).jpg, by Yumeto, CC BY-SA 4.0